La Grande Odyssée

La Grande Odyssée Savoie Mont Blanc is an international sled dog race spanning 900 kilometres (560 mi) in French Alps and Swiss Alps. It was first held in January 2005. The 2012 La Grande Odyssée purse was $100,000. The next edition of the race was scheduled to be held from 10–21 January 2015.

The course
La Grande Odyssée 2005
Musher on the Petit Mont-Cenis Plateau

La Grande Odyssée Savoie-Mont-Blanc is intended for mushers with teams of 14 dogs who are experienced in long- and middle-distance. Through Savoie and Haute Savoie, France and Switzerland, mushers from perhaps a dozen different countries, compete for two weeks of racing over a course more than 800 km long, with a change in altitude of more than 25,000 metres (82,000 ft).[1] The course takes the teams to 24 ski resorts (20 French and four Swiss). For each of the 10 stages, time-trialed (every two minutes) or mass (in parallel) starts bring thousands of spectators to the Savoie-Mont-Blanc region. The race includes three completely independent encampments: one in the first week and two in the second week.

The Haute-Maurienne-Vanoise Trophy

During the 2013 race, the Haute-Maurienne-Vanoise Trophy will take place during stages 7 (shortened), 8 and 9 of La Grande Odyssée Savoie-Mont-Blanc in Haute-Maurienne-Vanoise. It is open to a maximum of 10 middle-distance mushers, who must cover nearly 200 km/effort and climb up 5000m of height difference in total. The Haute-Maurienne-Vanoise Trophy also includes a compulsory encampment on open mountain.

Technology

Using a GPS tracking system, spectators can visit the race's website to follow in real time the mushers’ progress. The tracking also provides security for the competitors. In addition to the tracking system, Each sled is also equipped with a calculator and a GPRS phone.

Each itinerary is simulated in 3D as a "virtual walk around" realized with the help of a camera positioned to follow a precise path along a track or sled trail.

List of winners

The 2012 La Grande Odyssée purse was $100,000, the first prize was $30,000, the second prize was $20,000 and the third prize was $10,000.

Year 1st Musher Time (h:min:s) 2nd Musher 3ds Mucher
2005 Jessie Royer 35:59:14 Jacques Philip Grant Beck
2006 Jacques Philip 40:55:59 Ken Anderson Timothy Hunt
2007 Race ended due to snow conditions
2008 Petter Karlsson 36:03:51 Emil Inauen Ketil Reitan
2009 Radek Havrda 40:12:17 Robert Sørlie Sigrid Ekran
2010 Emil Inauen 40:17:48 Radek Havrda Jiri Vondrak
2011 Miloš Gonda 27:49:32 Martin Bily Jean-Philippe Pontier
2012 Radek Havrda 39:24:12 Miloš Gonda Jean-Philippe Pontier

2011 changes

For 2011, Finnmarksløpet in Norway and La Grande Odyssée Savoie Mont Blanc in France decided to create a new championship called the Arctic Alps Cup. It follows the trails of the Espace Diamant that join the Franco-Swiss massifs called Portes du Soleil, the Haute Maurienne Vanoise and Megève.

See also

References
  1. Guardian. co.uk: Photo gallery, 28 January 2013, Sled Dog Racing at La Grand Odyssee
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